higg-ins



(No Model.) 6 Sheets-Sheet 1.

B. S. HIGGINS. MACHINE FOR TRIMMING THE EDGES OF HOLLOW ARTICLES.

No. 338,969 Patented Mar. 30, 1886.

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(No Model.) 6 SheetsSheet 2.-

E. S. HIGGINS.

MACHINE FOR TRIMMING THE EDGES OI HOLLOW ARTICLES.

No. 338,969. Patented Mar. 30, 1886.

N. PETERS. Phmu-Lithpgrnpher. Washingion. n c.

(No Model.) 6 Sheets-Sheet 3. E. S. HIGGINS.

MAGHINE FOR TRIMMING THE EDGES 0F HOLLOW ARTICLES.

No. 838,969. Patented Mar. 30, 1886. 05 F 5.

i t A I %i By 14m r M W-2 I N. PETERS. Photoix'lhugnnhor. Walhmgwn. D. c.

(N O MOd G I.) 6 Sheets-Sheet 4. E. S. HIGGINS.

MACHINE FOR TRIMMING THE EDGES OP HOLLOW ARTICLES. No. 338,969. PatentedMar. 30, 1886.

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6 sheets-sheet 5.

(No Model.)

as. HIGGINS. MACHINE FOR TRIMMING THE EDGES OF HOLLOW ARTICLES. No. 338,969.

Patented Mar. 30, 1886.

Whamas.

6 Sheets-Sheet 6.

(No Model.)

B. S. HIGGINS.

MACHINE FOR TRIMMING THE EDGES 0P HOLLOW ARTICLES. N0. 338,969.

Patented'Mar. 30, 1886.

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ilnirso STATES,

PATENT OFFICE.

EDWARD SMITH HIGGINS, OF LONDON, ENGLAND, ASSIGNOR TO OLAUD THORNTON OAYLEY, OF SAME PLACE.

MACHINE FOR TRIMMI NG THE EDGES OF HOLLOW ARTICLES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 338,969, dated March 30, 1886.

Application filed December S), 1885. Serial No. 185,202.

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD SMITH HIG- GINS, ofLondon, England, engineer, have invented new and useful Improvements in Machines for Trimming the Edges of Hollow Articles of Sheet Metal and for Similar Purposes, (for which I have obtained Letters Patent in Great Britain, No. 1,918, dated February 11, 1885,) of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

My invention relates to machines for trimming the edges of hollow articles stamped or otherwise formed from sheet metal, and for similar purposes.

My improved machine is chiefly designed for trimming the edges of boxes or other hollow articles of oval or similar form, or ofirregular form, but not having sharp angles or corners. It is, however, also advantageous for trimming the edges of hollow articles of circular form and large diameter. The said machine can, moreover, be readily adapted for cutting sheet metal to form blanks from which such articles are to be made, or for turning solid articles of wood, metal, or other material.

An essential feature of my said invention is the employment of a cam having a groove corresponding in shape with the periphery of the box or other article to be trimmed, or of the blank or other article to be formed by cutting or turning. This cam is fixed upon a spindle or shaft, which is supported in sliding bearings, and which carries the chuck or worksupport, and the said cam is arranged in C0111- bination with a stationary pin or stud, which fits into the cam-groove. Therefore, as the said spindle or shaft is rotated, it will be moved laterally to and fro (according to the shape or configuration of the cam-groove) in such a manner that the article to be trimmed, cut, or turned will always be kept in its proper position relatively to the cutting tool or tools. I usually provide the machine with a series of interchangeable cams the grooves whereof differ in respect of their shape or dimensions, or both.

My said invention, moreover, comprises various improvements hereinafter set forth.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is (No model.) Patented in England Februau 11, 1885, No. 1,9l8.

a plan, Fig. 2 a side elevation, Fig. 3 a front elevation, and Fig. 4 a vertical longitudinal central section, of a machine constructed in accordance with my said invention for trimming the edges of hollow articles made from sheet metal by stamping, drawing, or piecin Fig. 5 is a transverse section on the line as m, Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is a face view of acam hereinafter described. Fig. 7 is a rear elevation of part of the said machine. Figs. 8 and 9 are plans, partly in horizontal section, showing modifications of my invention; and Fig. 10 is a rear elevation, partly in vertical section; Fig. 1l,'a side elevation, and Fig. 12 a plan showing a further modification of my said invention.

Like letters indicate corresponding parts throughout the drawings.

a is the base-plate or bed of the machine, which is supported upon standards b.

c is a bracket, which is firmly secured to the base-plate a, and which I will hereinafter term the head-stock.

d is a bracket which supports the cuttercarrier hereinafter described.

6 is the driving-shaft, which is supported in bearings e, fixed or formed on the headstock 0.

f is a pulley, which is fitted to rotate upon the said shaft, and around which a belt is to be passed, to connectit with any suitable motor.

g is a friction-cone, which is keyed upon the shaft e so that it is free to slide to and fro thereon, but will rotate therewith, and which is designed to be put into or out of gear with a hollow friction-cone or conical surface, f, on the pulley f, by the means hereinafter described.

h is a worm or endless screw fixed or formed on the shaft 6 and gearing with a worm-wheel, i, fixed on the spindle or shaftj, which I will hereinafter term the live spindle. This spindle is supported at one end in a bearing, 3', fitted to slide to and fro in a slot, 0, in the bracket 0, forming part of the head-stock c. The said spindle is supported near its other end in abearing in the plate or block k,which is fitted to slide to and fro between guides c c, fixed or formed on the head-stock c. The inner extremity of the spindle j is screw- I threaded, and a chuck, Z, of suitable shape to receive the article to be trimmed, is screwed or otherwise secured thereon. A curved bracket, la, is firmly attached to the slide 70, and has a bearing, k at its extremity. A shaft, m, is fitted with a capability of axial movement in the bearing W, and is coupled at one end to a lever, on, which is coupled at m to a link, m pivoted at m* to the bracket k. A block or holder, a, is secured to the free end of the shaft m by means of a screw, n, inserted in a boss, a", formed on the holder n, and projecting into an annular groove or recess, m in the said shaft. The said holder is therefore free to rotate upon the said shaft. 7 This hold- 7 er is of such shape that it will fit into the article to be trimmed. By moving the lever m in one or the other direction the said holder can be pressed firmly into the article to be trimmed after the same liasbeen placed in the chuck Z or moved away from the said chuck to permit the removal of the trimmed article and the insertion of another article to be trimmed. A ring or annular piece, is, provided with a screw-threaded extension, k is fitted to slide up and down in a slot in the bearing is, and the shaft m is passedthrough the said ring. Anut, provided with a handle, k is fitted upon the said extension. \Vhen the holder n has been moved up to the chuck to hold the work therein, the nut 70 is to be screwed up or tightened to retain the shaft m in position in the bearing R and thus prevent the displacement of the work while it is being trimmed.

0 is a cam,which is fixed uponthe live spindlej, and has two grooves, 0 0 The groove 0" is of the same shape or configuration as the edge or periphery of thearticle to be trim med. In the cam shown in the drawings the said groove is elliptical or approximately so.

1) is a pin or stud fixed in a plate, which is fitted to slide to and fro in a groove or channel, 0 in the head-stock c. The plate 10 is made with a slot, 1), through which extends a bolt, p fixed in the head-stock 0, so that the said plate and the pin or stud 1), carried thereby, can be moved toward or away from the live spindle j, according to the size of the articleto be trimmed. The boltp is provided with a nut, 9, whereby the plate 19' can be firmly secured in any position to which it may be adjusted. The plate 12 is, moreover, cut away at p, to permit the lateral movement of the spindle j, as hereinafter described. The pin or stud p is provided with an anti-friction roller, 1), which fits into the groove 0 of the cam 0. Therefore, when the spindle j is rotated, the said pin or stud will act alternately upon the inner and outer faces of the said groove, and thus cause the lateral movement of the spindle alternately toward and away from the said pin or stud, according to the shape or configuration of the cam-groove and the adjustment of the plate 1) in the groove. or channel 0 q q are two rotary cutters which are fixed or formed on sleeves 1*, and are fitted to rotate upon hollow cylinders or distance-pieces q placed upon the bolts g These bolts are fitted witha capability of lateral adjustment in a slot, 0', in the cutter-carrier r, as shown in Figs. 2 and 8, so that the cutters can be moved toward or away from each other. The bolts g are provided with nuts qfl whereby they can be secured in any position to which they may be adjusted. The said nuts, when tightened, bear against the hollow cylinders or distancepieces q, leaving the cutters q q and their sleeves 1* free to rotate thereon. The cuttercarrier r is fixed or formed on a shaft, 1"", supported in a bearing, 8, formed on the bracket (1. An arm, W, is fixed on the shaft 1, and is coupled by means of a link, r, to an arm, 1., which is fitted upon a shaft, t, and is connectedtherewith by a key fitting into a longitudinal groove or channel, it", in the said shaft, so that the arm tis free to move to and fro upon the said shaft, but will rotate therewith. This shaft t is supported in a bearing in the bracket i which is firmly secured to the bracket d, and also in abearingin the bracket 0 fixed or formed on the head-stock 0. arm, i is fixed on the shaft t, the endwise movement of which shaft is prevented by the said arm 16* and by a fixed collar, i The arm t is provided with an anti-friction roller, t, Fig. 1, which roller is mounted loosely upon the pin or stud t and fits into the groove 0 of the cam 0. The bracket (2 is fitted to slide transversely to and fro upon a block, d, so that the cutters can be moved toward or away from the spindle j, according to the size of the article to be trimmed. The bracket (1 is dovetailed to the said block d, and is secured thereto by means of bolts d, passing through slots d in the said bracket. The block 01 is fitted to slidelongitudinally to and fro on the base-plate a, to which it is dovetailed, as shown. The said block is provided with a lug or projection, d, whereby it is coupled by means of a link, a, to a bentlever, u, pivoted at a to a bracket, a extending downward from the base-plate a. A lever, '12, is pivoted at o to a bracket,o"',fixed or formed on the base-plate a. This lever is provided at one end with a pin or stud, o fitting into a curved or inclined groove,s', in the under side of the block d. The other end of the lever 22 is coupled to a forked lever, w, which is pivoted'at w to a bracket, 10 fixed or formed. on the head-stock c. The prongs or arms of the forked lever to project into an annular groove or recess, 9, in thefriction-cone g. WVhen the lever to is moved in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 2, the block d, the bracket d, and the cutters supported thereby will be moved away from the work. In this movement of the block dthe lever 1; will be turned around or about its pivot 11' to throw the clutch out of gearand stop the machine. When the lever to is moved in the reverse direction to that :indicated by the said arrow, the cutters will be moved up to the Work, and the leverv will be turned so as to put the clutch into gear and start the machine. I thus provide for moving the cutters up to the work and starting the machine or stopping the machine and moving the cutters away from their operative position by a single movement of the lever a.

The operation of the machine above described is as followsthat is to say: The parts are shown in the drawings in the position which they occupy when a boX or other artiole is being trimmed. The outer edge, 0, of the cam-groove 0 is of the same size and configuration as the outer edge or periphery of the said box or other article. Therefore, as the spindle j is rotated it will be moved first away from the cutters q q until one end of the said box or other article arrives between the same, and then toward the said cutters until the central point of one side of the box or other article arrives between the same, and so on. The edge to be trimmed will thus be kept always in the proper position for the cutters to operate thereon. The cam-groove 0 is of such shape that while the article is being trimmed the cam will act upon the arm ti and move the same in one or the other direction, and thereby keep the cutters always in such a position that the plane passing through their axes will be at right angles to the part being trimmed. By these means I provide for antomaticall y adjusting the cutters relatively to the work, and thereby greatly facilitating the trimming operation, and enabling such operation to be performed in a much more efficient manner than would be practicable if the cutters were not provided with means for alter ing the angle thereof relatively to the work, as above specified.

.Vhen the box or other article has been trimmed, the lever a is moved in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 2, to stop the machine and move the cutters away from the work. The nut 7.5 is slaekened and the lever in is moved in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 1, to draw back the holder n, and thus permit the removal of the trimmed article from the chuck Z and the insertion therein of another article to be trimmed. The lever m is then moved in the reverse direction to that indicated by the arrow, to clamp the work firmly between the holder at and the chuck Z, and the nut k is tightened to hold the shaft m and holder a firmly in position. The lever to is then raised to move the cutters up to the work and start the machine, and the operation above described is repeated. In the lateral toandfro movement of the spindle j and parts carried thereby the worm-wheel 01 rolls backward and forward upon the worm h. Therefore the transmission of motion from the shaft 6 to the spindle j is unaflected by such lateral movement,with the exception of the speed being slightly increased when the wheel rolls upon the worm hin one direction, and decreased when the said wheel rolls thereon in the reverse direction.

\Vhen the edge 01' the article to be trimmed is slightly bent outward or inward, it is sometimes necessary to move the cutters a short distance away from each otherin order to permit their engagement with the work, and then bring them together again. For this purpose I prefer to employ, in combination with the bolts q, a screw, y, Fig. 8, provided with right and left hand threads y y'iwhich work in correspondingly screw threaded holes in the heads of the bolts g. This screw y is secured in the carrier win any suitablemanner, so that it is free to rotate therein, but its cndwise movement is prevented.

To adapt my improved machine for cutting sheet metal to form oval, elliptical, or otherblanks from which the boxes or other hollow articles are to be made, I proceed as followsthat is to say: I substitute for the carrier above described a cutter-carrier, 1', eonstructed as shown in Fig. 9. The slot o in this carrier,instead of being at right angles to the shaft 7 ,iS parallel therewith. Therefore, when the said carrier is inplace in the bracket d, the cutters will be parallel with the spindle j, instead of at right angles thereto. Moreover, instead of the cutters being moved up to and away from the work, as above described, I prefer that the work should be moved up to and away from the cutters. For this purpose the pin or stud p is fixed in or formed integrally with a piece, p fitted to slide to and fro in a groove or channel, 11 in the plate 1), and adjustable in the said groove or channel by means of a screw, 1). By turning this screw in one or the other direction the said pin or stud, the cam 0, and consequently the work can be moved away from or toward the cutters.

\Vhen the machine is to be used for cutting sheet metal to form blanks, it is preferably so arranged that the live spindlej will be vertical instead of horizontal; but it is obvious that the machine can be arranged to operate in any desired position, according to the class of work for which it is required.

In Fig. 9 I have shown a further modification of my invention, whereby I provide for adjusting the cutters relatively to each other to compensate for wear. For this purpose I make each of the hollow cylinders or distance-pieces q in two parts, which are united by screwing, as at g. \Vhen the cutters become worn, the parts of one distance-piece are slightly unscrewed to lengthen the same, or the parts of the other distance-piece are slightly screwed up to shorten the same, or both these operations are performed. The cutters when they become worn are thus brought into contact with each other.

I sometimes provide other means than those above described for permitting the lateral toand-fro movement of the spindle j while the said spindle is being rotated. For instance, I substitute for the worm and worm-wheel a pulley fixed on the said spindle, and arranged to be driven by a belt, which is perpendicular to the path of the said spindle and pulley, or

approximately so, and is of such length that its tension will not be affected by the to-andfro movement thereof.

It is obvious that by providing a sliderest or other suitable support for a turning-tool the machine abor e described can be adapted for turning solid articles of wood, metal, or other materialthatis to say, to serve as a turninglathe.

What I claim is r 1. In a machine for trimming the edges of hollow articles of sheet metal, or for similar purposes, the combination of means for moving the work laterally to and fro while it is rotating, and means for automatically adjusting the cutters according to the shape of the article to be trimmed, as and for the purposes above specified.

2. The con1bination,with the live spindle j, of the cam 0, fixed on the said spindle, and the stationary pin or stud p, projecting into the groove 0 of the said cam, whereby a lateral reciprocating motion is imparted to the said spindle, for the purpose specified.

3. The combination of the lever a, the block d, the bracket d, the levers cw, and the clutch g, substantially as set forth, whereby the cutters are moved to or from the work and the machine started or stopped by a single movement of the said lever u, as above specified.

4. The combination of the cutter-carrier r, the shaft t, the arms t t", the link r, and the cam 0, provided with the groove 0", substantially as set forth, for automatically adjusting the cutters relatively to the work, as and for the purpose specified.

5. The cutter-carrier 4', having a slot, 1", parallel with its shaft T to receive the bolts Q3, which support the cutters q q, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

6. The hollow cylinders or distance-pieces (f, formed in two parts, which are united by screwing or otherwise,- substantially as described, so that the cutters q q can be adjusted relatively to each other to compensate for wear,

, as above specified.

8. The combination of the drivingshaft 6, having worm h, the spindle j, provided with worm-wheel z, the cam 0, carried by said spindle,and having grooves 0 0", one of which has an outer edge, 0 of the same size and configuration as the outer edge or periphery of the article to be acted on by the cutters, the shaft 15, having arms t t, the shaft 1", having arms r means for connecting the arms r" and t, the cutter-carrier r, and the cutters q q, substantially as described.

' 9. The combination of the live spindle j, the chuck Z, the holder a, shaft m, levers mu, and nut k substantially as described.

10. The combination of a live spindle supported in sliding bearings, a cam fixed upon said spindle and having a groove corresponding in shape with the periphery of the article to be trimmed, a chuck or work-support carried by said spindle, and a fixed pin or stud engaged with the cam, whereby the rotating spindle is caused to move laterally to and fro in such a manner that the article to be acted on will always be kept in its proper position relatively to the cutting tool or tools, substantially as described.

11. The combination of a live spindle, a chuck and a cam carried by said spindle, adjustable cutters, and means for connecting said cutters and cam, whereby the said cutters are automatically adjusted relatively to the'work, substantially as described.

12. The combination of a live spindle supported in sliding bearings, a cam carried by said spindle and grooved to correspond with the configuration of the article to be acted on, a fixed pin engaged with the cam, whereby the rotating spindle is caused to move laterally to and fro in such a manner as to cause the article to be always kept in proper position with relation to the cutting devices, a work-supporting chuck carried by the spindle, adjustable cutter, and means for connecting the cutters and cam so as to effect an au tomatic adjustment of said cutters with relation to the work, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof lhave hereunto signed my name in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

EDWVARD SMITH HIGGINS.

\Vitnesses:

DAVID YOUNG, WALTER MORRIs. 

